THE BARBADOS EQUESTRIAN Association rolls into high gear for the 2014 season by hosting the FEI World Dressage Challenge on February 25 and 26 at the Congo Road Equestrian Centre, St Philip.
A Barbados team of three riders will be named prior to the competition which is sponsored by BRC and Southern Palms Hotel. Their final scores will be entered in the World Dressage Challenge which consists of over 50 countries.
There will also be individual placements for local riders at the international level.
The two FEI international judges slated to visit Barbados for the Dressage Challenge are Anders Sucksdorff of Finland and Elke Ebert of Germany.
Recently, Victoire Mandel of Austria, another FEI international judge, was in Barbados to help the riders prepare for the competition by conducting training clinics and judging two warm-up shows that were held at Congo Road and Whitehall Equestrian Centre, respectively.
It was the first time a dressage event was staged at Whitehall, which is well known as a venue for showjumping.
Roberta Foster, astride her beautiful mare Chichic took the top score on both days among the FEI candidates, with over 70 per cent in the medium test. Michelle Elliott and Vivaldi were second on both days.
Gina Hunte on Man in Black, and Akoele Shorey on her locally-bred stallion Galantino, also performed exceptionally well, each winning the highest Prix St George category over the two days.
McKenzie Manning, one of Barbados’ leading junior dressage riders, shone in the elementary and preliminary children’s category with scores of over 69 per cent in each test over the two days on her handsome horse Sisco.
Erin Stephany, a junior better known for her show jumping victories, took top honours in the preliminary test at the Congo Road show with an exceptional performance astride Stella Blue.
The World Dressage Challenge is a qualifier for the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico in November.
Shorey, Hunte and Foster are also hopefuls for that event. (PR)
